The Identification Of Mirna And Sirna

The dsRNA can be delivered to the worms in many ways, but in this particular experiment, the bacteria containing plasmid for dsRNA is fed to the worms. The dsRNA is able to move throughout cells in worms by the pore created by SID-1

Structurally, miRNAs are initially transcribed from the genome as a long primary transcript that are cleaved or undergoes sequential processing by the RNAse III endonucleases Drosha and Dicer to yield the 17-23 mature nucleotide species (Kim, 2005). Mature miRNAs enters the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), thus a multiprotein complex that separate the mature strand from passenger strand and assists the interaction of mRNAs with miRNA that contain complementary sequences (Bader, 2012). As a result, mRNAs targeted by miRNA loads are either degraded or silenced in order not to be translated into protein. In the genome, a given miRNA can regulate several hundred transcripts whose molecules function within various cellular pathways including cell proliferation and apoptosis. To date, more than 50% of the activities of all protein-coding genes in mammals are controlled by miRNAs and greatly contributes to cell-type specific profiles of protein expression

The first paper, “Cis Regulatory Effects on A-to-I RNA Editing in Related Drosophila Species,” compares Adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) RNA Editing between two Drosophila species: D. melanogaster and D. sechellia. The primary interest of this study is the regulation of RNA editing and whether this regulation is determined predominantly by

Biotechnology has improved our agriculture by controlling pests, weed management and safeguarding crops against diseases. For example, genetically engineered insect-resistant cotton has subtracted the use of synthetic pesticides that may defile groundwater and the environment. Agricultural biotechnology has been used to protect crops from devastating diseases such as the “papaya ringspot virus threatened to derail the Hawaiian papaya industry until papayas resistant to the disease were developed through genetic engineering” (Biotechnology,USDA 14. May.2015 ). The use of agricultural biotechnology saved the papaya industry and lead research on other crops such as potatoes, squash, tomatoes to control and provide resistance to viral

In this report, I will discuss the Bt corn (and GMOs) and its biological concepts and processes.

These campaigns are mainly geared towards conserving the ozone layer. In a bid to respond to these concerns, scientists have discovered the use of technology to genetically modify plants that are able to resist diseases and pests and thus not only lowering the use of chemicals in farms but also lowering the cost of using chemicals in the farms (Phipps & Park 13).

Therefore, to “conserve forests, habitats and biodiversity, it is necessary to ensure that future food requirements come only from cropland currently in use”, which can be achieved with an increased use of GMOs globally (ISAAA).

GMOs or genetically modified organisms are found in many different products. When testing to see if a product contains a GMO at the molecular level we look to see if it contains the cry1A gene, the significance of this gene is that it encodes a Bt-endotoxin which is deadly to pests that feed off of crops. In this experiment we tested corn-based products through a PCR reaction and gel electrophoresis to see if the samples contained both the maize invertase gene (ivr1) gene and the cry1A gene. In our experiment we were able to conclude that only one of our samples contained the cry1A gene and that all of them contained the invertase gene.

RNAi challenges this notion by demonstrating that RNA can also disrupt this flow of genetic information and prevent protein expression. Since 1998 the exact mechanism of RNAi has been thoroughly investigated, and it has been shown that the RNAi machinery, known as RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), is activated when two fragments of RNA combine to form double-stranded RNA (Ramachandran et al., 2013). RISC then binds to one of these RNA fragments, which acts as a template allowing RISC to search for its complementary sequence on the target mRNA. As such, this fragment is known as the guide or ‘antisense’ strand (Wang et al., 2011). When RISC detects its matching sequence, the target mRNA is cleaved by certain nucleases or degraded by the cellular machinery, which effectively prevents translation of the transcript and silences expression of the protein (Wang et al., 2011). As described, the initial step in this process relies on the formation of an RNA duplex, which can occur in two pathways. Firstly, dsRNA can form in an endogenous manner due to the presence of non-coding regulatory RNA called micro (mi)RNA. miRNAs were discovered in the early 2000s as a result of Fire and Mello’s work, and they function as important post-transcriptional

The PAM, a 2-6 base pair sequence is present 3’ of the site of cleavage and is required for Cas9 to bind to the target sequence [DiCarlo, et al., 2013]. PAM is essential in distinguishing bacterial (non-self-DNA) from self-DNA, preventing cleavage by the Cas9 nuclease. The sgRNA recognises and binds to sequences with a 3’ PAM. DiCarlo et al., 2013, explains that the PAM sequence is usually 5’ NGG 3’, where the ‘N’ is any nitrogenous base followed by two guanine bases. The sgRNA directs Cas9 to the site where PAM sequence is present. To prevent off target cleavage, we will ensure the target SMN1 gene where the

Corn rust, a serious disease in corn crops, was a significant issue in the past amongst farmers. However, because of genetically modified organisms’ assistance, crops are now able to more efficiently fight diseases, such as corn rust. Currently, around 88% of all corn contains GMOs because of the extent of disease among corn crops. For a plant to become insect resistant, sections of DNA from the bacteria that kills a particular insect are isolated and later inserted into the plant cells in a process currently known as genetic transformation. Then, certain strains of the DNA of the bacteria are chosen to target specific pests. After this process, the new genetically transformed plant will contain the toxin from the bacteria to kill the pest within its cells, so that when said plant is eaten by the targeted insect, the toxins will bind to the receptors inside the gut of the insect. This will cause the insect 's gut wall to break down and allowing the toxin spores to enter the body and kill the insect, making the plant pest resistant. Without the resistance to pests and diseases, harvests would not be as successful, and consumers would be at risk of buying diseased crops.

Since their discovery in the 1980s to today in 2016, the implication of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in agriculture is ruthlessly debated and discussed with no real solution or overwhelming majority on one position. The global advancement in modern science and technology has brought forth many innovations and inventions that are designed to overcome various life challenges. GMOs are one such innovation that has been created to help alleviate agricultural problems and enhance the simple act of growing crops. GMOs, a term used to describe the development of animals or plants whose genetic material is altered in order to be a superior version of the traditional one, are seen as a significant development in science that can solve problems related to agricultural practices. It is deemed a technological advancement that can improve the problems related to food production and starvation. However, many critics believe that GMOs can be a potential hazard to the environment, animals, and humans alike. In addition, many people are concerned about the consumption of crops that are chemically changed in place of crops that are naturally grown with little scientific intervention. The implementation of GMOs brings forth a pivotal environmental issue because GMOs can pose as a future solution to agricultural production and world hunger but also have the potential to cause harm to humans and the environment.

Plant viruses can have many negative impacts on agricultural crops that often is difficult to quantify into an estimated economic loss due to the inconspicuous nature of viruses. Damage imposed by viruses can include a reduction in plant growth directly reducing yield or a reduction in vigor which can leave a plant more susceptible to other environmental or pest related damage (Hull, 2002b). In addition, viral symptoms can reduce the quality and marketability of the crop which can either be in its appearance, composition, ability to keep, or be used as propagation material. Other mentionable impacts are the costs associated with maintaining crop health due to viruses such as vector control, cultural hygiene, producing and purchasing virus free material, quarantine programs, breeding programs, and funding research programs (Hull, 2002b).

For mRNAs, functional annotation with respect to diverse protein databases, including GO, COG, KEGG, Swiss Prot, and InterPro, will be performed. lncRNAs analysis, including classification, miRNA precursor and target prediction, will also be performed. BGI has provided initial annotation of both mRNA and lncRNA that will be served as reference. One of the main focuses is expression validation that we plan to focus on. We will primarily employ the qRT-PCR approach but will also employ digital PCR to increase sensitivity and reproducibility.

The functional genomics studies have shown the involvement of plant miRNAs in many developmental processes of plant (Jones et al., 2006), response to biotic and biotic stresses, hormone signalling (Frazier et al., 2011, Jagadeeswaran et al., 2009), signal transduction, protein degradation (Zhou et al., 2010; Zhang et al., 2008), transgene suppression (Allen et al., 2005), disease development (Johnson et al., 2005), defense against viruses (Bennasser et al., 2004), molecular mechanisms regulating developmental transitions, such as seed germination, vegetative and reproductive phase changes, flowering initiation, seed production and root development (Yang et al., 2011) and nutrient deprivation and heavy metals (Chen et al., 2012).